Tag: Ridgewood Schools

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9/11 Remembrance

The Village Council invites you to attend a Remembrance Ceremony on the Plaza at Village Hall on Monday, September 11th at 8pm. There will be a short ceremony to remember those who were lost five years ago in the World Trade Center attack. We will light a candle and unveil a memorial marker in their memory.

Please join the Village Council on September 11th in remembering our friends and neighbors

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The covered call strategy is straightforward. Monthly cash income is generated by selling call options on stock that you own. When selling a call option you contract the delivery of stock owned at a price (strike price) for a specific amount of time (option month). In other words, the buyer has the right to buy your stock (at the strike price), and you are paid a premium (price paid for the purchase right). This investment strategy works best in a rising market or flat market. Why? It helps to maximize the yield (premium) of the held stock. What’s safe about options investing is that the strategy works well in a declining market, too. How? Use it to minimize losses by offsetting your stock’s devaluation with premium income. If you plan to hold the stock you buy or own for a long period of time, then writing covered calls (selling call options on owned stock) can greatly enhance the yield performance of your stock portfolio.

Call options can be written every month on the stocks you own. This is because the highest premiums are realized over single-month periods, rather than two or more months out in time. The stocks you choose to hold or buy should be stocks you plan to own for a long period of time. They should be steady growth stocks that have done well over the long term and can be prudently held even if a market decline occurs.

To keep commissions down, it’s best to write calls in contracts (lots) of five to ten. Since each contract is for 100 shares, plan to hold 500 to 1000 shares of each stock.

James
Investment Representative to the Stars
(201)966-7788

>The recently defeated “no downtown financial institutions” ordinance will reappear in revised form and expanded to encompass “limited downtown non-retail use.” That is, the Village Council will seek to discourage any use downtown except traditional retail.

Street lighting in the central business district will soon be upgraded through a phased plan. Plans call for replacement of all light poles, globes, and bulbs. The Historic Preservation Commission has asked that poles in a two block area surrounding the train station not be replaced. Duh? Isn’t that where street lighting is needed the most due to higher pedestrian traffic headed to and from the station?

Future commercial development in the Route 17 corridor will be encouraged. It is believed that although this area is now zoned residential, there is minimal interest in building residences right on the highway.

It was suggested that a comprehensive plan be developed to change permitted land uses along Franklin Avenue between Maple Avenue and North Broad Street. This would be done to promote more pedestrian traffic along the street.

It was agreed that steps need to be taken to control the unlawful sprawl of sidewalk cafes in the central business district. Cited were seats placed in excess of permitted numbers, the unlawful placement of furniture, and non-permitted signage.

There was much discussion regarding the Zoning Board of Adjustment’s routine granting of variances permitting residence sizes in excess of ordinance limits. Village Council members were clearly upset by this trend.

>Total Hosts (ISP’s) in 5 Months
5353

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20086

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>Fact: On March 1, 2006, the Bergen County Board of Taxation officially notified Village officials of the need to perform a complete tax revaluation.

Fact: On April 19, 2006, Ridgewood’s 2006 Municipal Budget was publicly introduced. Professional services fees associated with the aforementioned mandated tax revaluation were not included in the budget.

Fact: The 2006 Ridgewood Municipal Election was held on Tuesday, May 9. Incumbents David T. Pfund and Patrick A. Mancuso were reelected to office.

Fact: On August 9, 2006, Council members voted unanimously to introduce Ordinance # 3018, a “Special Emergency Appropriation” in the amount of $580,000, for “the preparation and execution of a complete program of revaluation of real property in the Village of Ridgewood.”
Yes; that’s right – $580K. The public hearing for this ordinance is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, September 13, 2006.

Question: If Mayor Pfund and Village Council members knew about the required tax revaluation on March 1, 2006, which they did, why weren’t estimated expenses for engaging a revaluation firm included in the 2006 Municipal Budget?

>The Ridgewood BOE intends to spend the entire 2006-2007 school year conducting a nationwide search for a new Schools Superintendent. At their August 21 public meeting, BOE members agreed to engage the services of an as yet to be named personnel search consultant. It was revealed that search consultant fees would probably exceed $20K, not including newspaper advertising expenses.

Questions: 1) How does the BOE know ahead of time that it’s going to take a full year to find someone? 2) Is there any documented correlation between the duration of a personnel search and the quality of the chosen candidate; i.e., if they search for a year, does that mean we get the best possible superintendent? 3) Also, isn’t there anyone in house who could handle the job? 4) Why shell out $20K+ in consultant’s fees, search over hill and dale, and pay relocation expenses if an excellent candidate is right under your nose?

The Ridgewood Public Schools System is a $76 million business. No private corporation in their right mind would allow a CEO position to remain vacant for a full year. Why in the world are Mr. Bombace and his merry crew dragging this search process out?

>Nearly one-quarter of New Jersey’s public and charter schools are “in need of improvement” after failing to meet federal targets on reading and math tests this past spring, state Education Department officials said Tuesday. Ridgewood High is one of 35 schools in Bergen County that was given “early warning” status, meaning it will be placed on the “improvement” list if it fails to measure up next year.

24 percent of New Jersey schools are “in need of improvement” under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, up from 23 percent last year. The label is based on statewide math and reading test scores. Students in Grades 3-8 and 11 are tested every year. Test results are analyzed by subgroup, based on students’ race, economic status and whether test takers are English-language learners or receive special education services. Traditionally, many schools have fallen short when a single subgroup missed the target.

A school’s target passing rates depend on the subject and grade level. In reading, it’s 75 percent of elementary students, 66 percent in middle school and 79 percent in high school. In math, the passing rate is 62 percent of elementary students, 49 percent in middle school and 64 percent in high school. The target rates increase every few years.

The law, which is up for reauthorization by Congress next year, states that 100 percent of students must pass the tests by 2014. That goal is controversial, with some educators arguing it is unrealistic for special-needs students or students who have not mastered English

>Ok so the last couple of years have had a lot of ups and downs and now you’re looking for ways to get your financial house in order.First it is important to understand that you’re not going to fix something in a week that you have gotten your self into over years. Once you except that this is a process that’s like going to the gym and is going to take regular effort on your part.

First its important to know where you are so take an inventory of all your Assets and Liabilities another words figure out what you owe (bills and debts) and what you own (property ,stocks ,bonds and so on) .It is very important to figure out exactly what you owe and what your monthly payments are . Next you need to figure out a budget, a real budget .Not an “about” budget. If you have not set up an emergency fund of at least $1000 you need to get this set up and tosses in savings ASAP. Most people need anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months of money to pay bills in reserve (savings accounts) .

Most of you need to start out by paying off all your credit cards and miscellaneous debt ,paying off your smallest debt to your largest .Once you pay down one you take all the money your using to pay down that debt and add it to the next creating a snow ball effect. While you’re doing this if it available you should be maximizing out your 401K options many companies offer matching contributions, this is a painless way to increase your savings. For most people it takes any were from 18 months to 2 years to make this happen.

Too be continued……

James Foytlin
Investment Representative to the Stars
(201)652-3003